Doctor Andy met our afternoon receptionist’s daughter, Payton, the other morning. Here is a photo of her making a goofy face with Doc. She was all smiles that morning as Doctor Andy carried her around. <3

6-month-old Natasha, a Siberian Forest cat, was the most pleasant-smelling pet the veterinarian had ever treated.

Daryl Humdy of Oakland, Calif., came home last month to a laundry catastrophe. His 6-month-old Siberian Forest cat, Natasha (pictured left), accidentally went through an entire wash cycle. The incident resulted in severe hypothermia and a trip to the emergency animal hospital, earning Natasha the title of “Most Unusual Claim of the Month” by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI).

“My roommate was loading his laundry and left the lid to the washing machine open while he went to the next room to grab more clothes,” Humdy told VPI. “He came back, threw his clothes in and shut the lid to the washing machine without realizing that Natasha had jumped into it while he had been away.”

Natasha went through the full 35-minute wash cycle. Humdy arrived home just as his roommate was pulling out his clothes to find a soaked and visibly shaken kitten. Humdy immediately rushed Natasha to the emergency clinic.

“Natasha was shaking and crying. I knew she was frightened, and I was frightened for her,” Humdy says.

At the veterinary hospital, Natasha was treated for hypothermia and shock—fortunately she didn’t have any broken bones or other more serious injuries. The veterinarian said she was the most pleasant-smelling pet the team had ever treated. Natasha has since made a full recovery.

“Natasha’s ordeal shows the importance of pet-proofing your home for kittens and puppies,” says Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “Like young children, young pets are naturally curious. In addition to familiarizing new pets with their surroundings, specific action should be taken by pet owners to prevent potentially harmful and even fatal events from occurring.”

Natasha’s incident was one of more than 80,000 claims VPI received in December and employees dubbed it the “most unusual.” Honorable mentions include a blue heeler dog that sustained blunt trauma after being chased down and kicked by a mule, a poodle that was hit by a bicycle and a St. Bernard that ingested a holiday ornament. All pets considered for the award made full recoveries.

As the most unusual claim submitted, Natasha will be in the running for the 2013 VPI Hambone Award. Other nominees include:

Chance the Labrador retriever who was butted by a goat

Ariel the Himalayan kitten who got trapped under a garage door

Annie the Yorkshire terrier who was stranded outdoors during one of the worst storms in North American history.

IDEXX Laboratories recently reported that dogs in the south central and eastern regions of the country are being exposed to a greater number of ticks and tick-borne diseases than once thought, according to a company-issued press release. Researchers with IDEXX compared reference laboratory results conducted in 2011 with current results from one of its SNAP diagnostic tests—also run at the reference laboratory—and found that there was up to a fourfold increase inEhrlichia species exposure this year.

But is this the result of improved laboratory tests and better detection, or is the nation’s tick population growing and branching out into uncharted territory? It’s true that the company’s SNAP 4Dx Plus test, which screens for a number of common tick-borne pathogens, was recently upgraded to include antibody detection for Ehrlichia ewingii, but that’s only part of the story, says Susan Little, DVM, PhD, DEVPC (right), professor of veterinary parasitology at Oklahoma State University. “That test has wider platform and is detecting an agent that we didn’t previously have serologic assays to detect,” she says. “But the vector tick that transmits Ehrlichia ewingii, the most common Ehrlichia species infecting dogs in the U.S., now has a broader geographic distribution, too.”

Ehrlichia ewingii is transmitted by the lone star tick, and dogs in the southern part of the U.S. have always been at risk for this type of Ehrlichiosis, due to the tick’s overwhelming presence in that region. But even that indigenous tick population is growing, says Little, and now the lone star tick is migrating north into much of the eastern two-thirds of the country.

However, Little is encouraged by the fact that laboratories such as IDEXX are striving to create better diagnostic tests that pick up more disease-causing agents, like Ehrlichia ewingii. “We need to characterize the full gamut of what’s out there and have diagnostic tests that identify the infection,” she says. “Many veterinarians recognize that a patient has a tick-borne disease, but they’re not able to figure out what it is.”

But that could be changing, as evidenced by the recent upgrade in the IDEXX test. “While many veterinarians in highly endemic areas are familiar with acute E. ewingii infections, we don’t know a lot about this pathogen because testing for it has been limited until now,” says Melissa Beall, DVM, PhD, manager of medical affairs at IDEXX. “IDEXX is excited to be able to help veterinarians screen for a pathogen and evidence of a tick species that is fast becoming a larger threat to people and pets in more parts of the country.”

In order to keep that threat to a minimum, Little suggests that veterinarians follow the Companion Animal Parasite Council’s recommendations and urge clients to practice year-round tick control and prevention. “We need to be more adamant with clients about year-round tick control for dogs and cats,” Little says. “Tick control protects dogs and cats from tick-borne diseases—the ones we know about and the ones we’re still finding out about.”

HOW DO WE FIX THIS ISSUE DOCTOR ANDY???? By purchasing Revolution at our office this will not only take care of your fleas and heartworms prevention but it also takes care of the most common ticks. But when you purchase here in the office you are welcome to a free tick collar!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) began to examine error reports for veterinary medications in 2008. Now, safety reviewer Linda Kim-Jung of CVM’s Division of Veterinary Product Safety says that the medication errors that occur in the prescription of medicine to pets are similar to those that happen in the treatment of people.

According to a release from the FDA, Kim-Jung says errors can start with simple abbreviations—especially now that some clients have their veterinary prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies. Although veterinarians are taught to use abbreviations to save time, abbreviations taught on the human side may be different from those veterinarians use. “Poor penmanship can add to the problem, too,” Kim-Jung says. This can lead to transcription errors at the pharmacy.

In its review of error reports, the CVM found that dosing abbreviations are often misread. For example, “s.i.d.” (once daily) has been misinterpreted as “b.i.d.” (twice daily) and “q.i.d.” (four times daily), leading to overdoses. Transcription errors can also occur as a result of misinterpreting abbreviations such as “U” (units) for “0” or “mcg” (microgram) for “mg” (milligram), or when prescriptions are written with leading or trailing zeroes.

“A 5-mg dose written with the trailing zero as 5.0 mg can be misread as 50 mg, or a 0.5 mg dose written without the leading zero as .5 mg can easily be mistaken for 5 mg, potentially resulting in a 10-times overdose,” Kim-Jung says.

To avoid prescription mixups, the CVM recommends that veterinarians adopt the following practices:

• Completely write out the prescription, including the drug name and dosage regimen. The full dosage regimen includes the dose, frequency, duration and route of administration.

• When writing out a dose, do not use a trailing zero and do use a leading zero.

• When calling in or writing out a human drug prescription for animals, verbally state or write out the entire prescription, because some pharmacists may be unfamiliar with veterinary abbreviations.

• Consider using a computerized prescription system to minimize misinterpretation of handwriting.

The CVM also says programs should be considered at the veterinary school level to teach students about the dangers of using abbreviations.

Sure any other vet can say they love their patients like its their own but Doctor Andy truly does. Here is Doctor Andy with our Accountant, Michelle Green’s, dachshund. Dexter was loving on Doctor Andy even after he underwent his annual wellness exam and vaccines. The pup even got a dental!!

Playtime and Fun Games

Playtime is an important part of a pet’s exercise program and socialization. All pets benefit from play as it:

Is a form of exercise

Prevents boredom

Relieves stress

Prevents obesity

Increases the bond between you and your pet

Builds confidence

Is fun

Important play tipsDo’s

Always get permission from a grown-up before playing with your pet.

Be Gentle: Gently stroke the pet on the chest and shoulders: avoid the neck, face, feet and tail.

Approach Slowly: Move slowly around a pet.

Be quiet and confident around your dog.

Be careful not to step on your pet.

Wear a long-sleeved top when playing with your cat.

Show the pet that you want to approach slowly by crouching down and lowering your hand. Let your pet come to you.

Always wash your hands after playing with your pet.

Dont’s

Do not approach a dog when it is eating, sleeping or toileting.

Do not pull the ears or tail.

Do not play in the area of the pet’s toilet

Do not corner a pet.

Do not let your pet lick your face, eyes or mouth

Never reach into your pet’s kennel or crate. Let your pet come out to you.

Do not take a toy from your pet.

Do not scream or scare your pet.

Fun games to play with your pet

Hide n Seek
In the same room, hide behind a door or furniture and call your cat’s name. When your cat finds you, reward them with a small treat or by petting them gently. Once your cat gets good at this, choose another room or a bigger area in the house.

Fetch
Most dogs enjoy a game of fetch. Safely and gently throw a Frisbee or ball. When your dog returns, hold up a treat and command them to drop. If your pet drops the toy, give them the treat. Cats too can learn how to fetch. Using a small toy like a lightweight ball or stuffed mouse, throw it gently across the floor and allow your cat to chase it. Once caught, call your cat back and see if it returns the toy. Practice makes perfect.

Flashlight fun
In a dark room, create a beam of light with a flashlight. Without shining the light into your pet’s eyes, move the beam of light across the floor and watch your cat chase it.

Fishing pole toys
Wand-type toys with dangling feathers or streamers are a lot of fun for your cat. Moving the pole in a snake-like or mouse-like movement can excite your cat to play. Make sure you put the toys away after playing with them. Don’t let your cat play with this type of toy if you are not around.

Walking fun
It’s important for both cats and dogs to be comfortable on a leash.

Cool Games in the Sun

Wading Pools: Create a shallow wading pool for your dog to play in.

Frozen Treats: Dogs often like to play with ice blocks. For those fussy pets, add a bit of chicken or beef stock before freezing them.

Kong Fun: Add some frozen treats to the Kong and watch your pet play for hours.

Beach or Lake Fun: Go swimming in the water and bring along a pet life jacket for your pet.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until combined. Put liners in a mini cupcake pan. Using a small cookie dough scoop, scoop a rounded teaspoon of batter into each cupcake cup. Bake for 12-15 minutes (until firm and beginning to brown).

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Pipe frosting of choice onto cupcakes and top with shredded carrots.